noun
flake
flayk
noun
1
A small, thin, flat piece that has broken off something larger.
"A flake of paint peeled off the old fence."
"Snowflakes drifted past the window."
2
An unreliable person who often cancels plans or fails to follow through.
"He's such a flake — he's cancelled on us three times this month."
verb
1
To back out of plans or fail to follow through on a commitment.
"She flaked on dinner again last night."
2
To break off in small thin pieces.
"The old paint began to flake off the wall."
How to Use Flake
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small chip or piece breaking off something, or (informally) someone who bails on plans.
When to use it
The "unreliable person" sense of flake and the verb "to flake (on someone)" are informal/slang.
Common pairings
flake off
flake on someone
a flake of paint
Word Forms
flaked past tense, flakes plural, Flakes plural, flakes singular
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Etymology
From Old English/Old Norse roots meaning a loose or torn-off piece, ultimately from a very old word for something flat; the "unreliable person" sense is a modern slang extension.